Brake actuation assemblies having electrically powered brake actuators to electrically apply and release tension to a brake cable connected to the brake mechanisms are known in the art. A disadvantage of an electric brake actuator is that it cannot be actuated to apply and release the brake mechanisms when the vehicle is not powered due to a breakdown of the vehicle, for example. A malfunctioning electric brake actuator can also inhibit actuation of the brake mechanisms. Accordingly, it is known to provide a mechanism for manually applying and releasing the brake mechanisms in situations when the electric brake actuator cannot be actuated. Often, this manual applying and releasing mechanism is located outside of the passenger compartment, such as in the trunk of the vehicle, which requires that an occupant exit the vehicle in order to apply or release the brake mechanisms. This is inconvenient. Further, known manual applying and releasing mechanisms include separate tools for manually applying and releasing the brake mechanisms. With separate tools, some assembly is required, which further complicates operation of the manual applying and releasing mechanisms.
The present invention provides improvements over electric brake actuators having manual applying and releasing mechanisms.